My Husband Dementia and Fatigue

Good morning, @annstuff While I’m only a caregiver, I have seen increased sleep in both my MIL with frontal temporal dementia and my wife with her brain cancer, which caused a myriad of dementia-like symptoms. In both cases, their doctors told us as their brain function declined all daily efforts demanded increased effort and were more tiring. Plus I know in my wife’s case all outside stimuli became exhausting to her.

I hope this helps and I’m willing to answer other question if you have them.

Strength, Courage, & Peace

Thank you so much. I had thought that might be the cause.
I can understand!

annestuff,
My husband has Alzheimer's, and he also sleeps all of the time. He sleeps 8, 9, or 10 hours every night and he has naps off and on all day long. His neurologist says this is caused by his brain disease. He had always been an ambitious and active man and to see him like this is so sad.

My wife with early stage Alzheimers sleeps 9-11 hourse per day, but takes no naps. She just goes to be very early, like 3PM. This started months before her diagnosis.

I agree it is sad. Don was an aerobics teacher and now does very little activity, Thank you!

I really appreciate your input!!

Have you investigated sleep apnea? My husband also sleeps until 10 or 11, but I think that can be a dementia characteristic. He doesn't get sleepy or nap during the day, but at 92 he is fatigued. He has used a CPAP since the early 2000s and I see a direct correlation between the his apnea events (stopping breathing) and HOW fatigued he is during the day.

Yes, we have and he does not have it!

Meant to mention my husband also has AFIB and takes meds for that, but I don't think they impact his fatigue.

What do you do about meals? This is confounding me! Breakfast for me at 8, for him between 11-12, lunch for me at 1, something (a smoothie or cheese and crackers) for him around 3, and dinner together at 6. 😕